


Grinding Herbs and Telling Stories

by OhanaHoku



Series: The Raven-Haired Warrior, A Raven-Haired Child [7]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Child Abuse, Child Soldiers, Childhood Trauma, Conditioning, Gaius Being a Good Parental Figure, Gen, Good Mordred (Merlin), Hurt Merlin (Merlin), Male Friendship, Merlin Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Merlin Needs a Hug (Merlin), Mild Hurt/Comfort, PTSD, Past Child Abuse, Protective Merlin (Merlin), Storytelling, To Mordred and Merlin Alike, Worried Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Worried Knights (Merlin), Worried Mordred (Merlin), merlin has issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:15:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25195288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OhanaHoku/pseuds/OhanaHoku
Summary: The knights learn that Mordred is a druid, and Gaius helps provide Mordred with a little insight.
Relationships: Gaius & Mordred (Merlin), Knights of the Round Table & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin & Mordred (Merlin)
Series: The Raven-Haired Warrior, A Raven-Haired Child [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1764406
Comments: 12
Kudos: 281





	Grinding Herbs and Telling Stories

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aglmry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aglmry/gifts).



> Yep, still stuck on this story. Here's the next part, hope you all like it! This part is gifted to a_mry. Thank you for all the love you've shown my story. <3

As the queen had met with the servant, King Arthur and his most trusted knights had convened on the training field after their exercises, their topic of conversation: the young man named Merlin.

“I’m not sure what to do about Merlin,” Arthur admitted, surveying those still training. “He woke me this morning as though nothing had happened last night.”

“I imagine it must be difficult,” Leon said, wiping some sweat from his brow. “To have one’s past bared in such a way.”

“I’m surprised he spoke up the way he did,” Elyan told them. “Especially because he spoke up for Mordred’s benefit. Those two don’t seem very close.”

“Well, they might not seem close, but they do have a connection,” Arthur said, looking back at the group. “This wouldn’t be the first time that Merlin protected Mordred.”

Gwaine leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. “Well, do tell, Princess.”

Arthur rolled his eyes at the nickname but continued. “It happened roughly eight years ago when we first met Mordred.”

“Eight years ago?” Percival said, surprised.

“I didn’t realize you knew him as a child,” Elyan stated.

“Well, I only met him briefly, but Merlin had met him first when he-” Arthur cleared his throat, “When he helped Morgana hide him from my father.”

Leon furrowed his brow at the new information, but before he could speak, Gwaine beat him to it. “What the in the world did your father want with Mordred?”

Arthur took a sip of water from his cup before answering. “He wanted to execute the boy for being a druid.”

Silence followed that statement before Leon spoke, the knight staring down at the grass. “The druid boy that got away.” He looked to Arthur for confirmation and pursed his lips at the nods he received. “And Merlin helped him.”

“And so did I,” Arthur affirmed.

Leon pressed his lips together, ducking his head as he rested his forehead on his clasped hands. “And you thought it was a good idea to invite a druid, someone who practices magic, to Camelot. To invite them to stay in your castle- That is who you were going to knight? A druid, Arthur?”

The king handled Leon’s controlled outburst well, shaking his head. “I’m not fool enough to invite someone with magic into my home, Leon. I’d be dead within a night if that was the case. Mordred was raised by the druids, but he doesn’t have magic himself.”

“How do you know?” Percival asked.

“A few reasons. One, all of the druids wear a tattoo of the druidic symbol, like a spiral that branches off in three different directions. They’re worn on the wrist or some other prominent place, it’s part of their culture, and Mordred has no such tattoo. Two, the druids are a peaceful people. They don’t believe in violence, yet Mordred decided to take up the sword when he left them. And three, if Mordred had been corrupted by magic, he would have just let Morgana kill me. Instead, he saved my life. No sorcerer would do that. Even the druids, peaceful though they are, wouldn’t be likely to intervene were I about to be killed by someone who could take control of Camelot and legalize magic again.”

Leon didn’t look particularly happy with Arthur’s explanation, but Percival nodded thoughtfully. “Fair enough.”

“Well, get on with it then.” Gwaine urged. “How did Merlin save him?”

“Mordred had been chased into the courtyard by the guards, and Merlin, being the impulsive dolt he is, helped him escape. He took him to Morgana’s chambers, and she helped hide him from the guards. Later, Morgana was caught with the boy. He was sentenced to death by my father.” Arthur said with a frown. “I didn’t agree with my father’s decision to execute a child, so I helped Morgana form a new plan. Then Merlin got involved and took her place. I helped Mordred escape through the tunnels under the castle, and Merlin met us there with a horse.”

Gwaine chuckled. “I never would have thought you had it in you to stage a jailbreak, Arthur.”

Arthur huffed softly, sending the knight a half-smile. “It was the first time I ever questioned my father’s policies.”

Elyan set a hand on the royal’s shoulder. “And you grew stronger for it, Arthur. You’re becoming an amazing king, and it’s the compassion which led you to spare Mordred’s life that is marking the difference between you and your father.”

Some of the unsurety in Arthur’s eyes left. “Thank you, Elyan.” He said, patting the knight’s knee. “However, I still don’t know what I’m going to do with Merlin. But I don’t have any more time to discuss it now.”

He stood with a sigh, and Leon chuckled. “More meetings with the council, Sire?”

“Yes, Lord Bertram is complaining about this or that again.” He said, shaking his head. “I’ve got to figure out how my father handled that man, he’s the most long-winded windbag I’ve ever met.”

The knights laughed, sending their king off with shouts of good luck as he left, Arthur raising a hand in acknowledgement as he walked away.

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

After some quiet contemplation, Mordred left the too still atmosphere of Merlin’s room, stepping down into the physician’s chambers.

Gaius looked up at him as he came in, giving the young man a smile. “Mordred, have any trouble getting your things packed away?”

He shook his head. “No trouble. Merlin said I could share his closet, so I put my stuff in there.”

“Good, good.” The older man nodded, looking back at the herbs he was grinding.

“Can I help?”

Gaius looked up in surprise, a smile lighting his wizened eyes. “Why, yes. I would appreciate that.” He set up another bowl of herbs for him to grind, and soon the two were working alongside each other. “You’re very good at this. It took me ages to learn Merlin the patience needed to grind them so fine.” Gaius said with a chuckle.

Mordred smiled. “I used to help the healers in our camp to make their potions. One, a woman named Goda, was especially picky about the quality of such things.” He explained.

“Well, I see she had a good pupil then,” Gaius said, patting the boy’s back as he moved to grab a bottle of honey to add to the herbs.

They worked in silence for a while before Mordred spoke up. “Are you sure it’s okay I stay here? I don’t want to cause any trouble for you, or Emrys.”

“It’s no trouble at all, my boy,” Gaius said as he examined his mixture. “What better place for you to be than with those who understand you?” He pointed out.

“I suppose, but I don’t think Emrys is very fond of me. I can’t blame him, though, we both know the prophecy.” Mordred said, frowning. “I’m the one who supposedly kills Arthur.”

The physician hummed, adding a few dried herbs from the shelf into the bowl. “Prophecy is a troublesome thing.” He mused. “But Merlin has made mistakes in the past because of it, and I don’t believe he plans to allow those same mistakes to happen again. The fact that he brought you here is proof enough of that.”

Mordred fell silent after the man’s statement, brow furrowed as he looked down at the herbs he was grinding.

_ Is Emrys really willing to ignore prophecy for my sake? _

“That’s good, my boy,” Gaius said.

Mordred passed him the bowl, and soon they were dividing the salve into small clay jars to be distributed.

**Author's Note:**

> Word Count - 1264. This was originally going to be Arthur and the knights discussing how much they don't actually know about Merlin, but then it turned into a story of how Arthur met Mordred, and I gotta say, I'm pretty happy with the results. It'll further the plot nicely. Also, I just love Gaius when he's acting fatherly toward Merlin, so I figure he'd act that way toward Mordred as well. And they never really address the fact that Mordred was a druid in the show after he becomes a knight, so this is my own theory on how Arthur doesn't seem to realize that he has magic. Let me know what you think of it, or what theories/headcanons you have for this plot hole, I'd love to hear your thoughts! :D
> 
> [my tumblr](https://ohanahoku-ao3.tumblr.com/)


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